“Since our goal is to help new biomedical technologies get ready for eventual commercialization, we take a close look at which applications are most likely and most ready to move to the next level of funding and development.” – Dr. Alan Hirschman.

The Center for Medical Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering announced five awards in its 2013 Round-1 Pilot Funding Program for Early Stage Medical Technology R&D. This year’s Round-1 awardees include three projects headed by
McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine affiliated faculty members (in alphabetical order): Richard Debski, PhD, Michael Gimbel, MD, Kacey Marra, PhD, and J. Peter Rubin, MD.

“We’re now in our second year of the funding program, and our leadership team continues to be impressed by the breadth of the proposals,” said Alan D. Hirschman, PhD, CMI Executive Director. “Since our goal is to help new biomedical technologies get ready for eventual commercialization, we take a close look at which applications are most likely and most ready to move to the next level of funding and development.”

McGowan Institute affiliated faculty funded projects include:

“NON-INVASIVE QUANTIFICATION OF ACL FUNCTION WITH AN iPAD APP”
To develop and evaluate image processing software for quantitative pre- and post-operative assessment of ACL in the knee. The iPAD is a widely available, cost-effective platform for the software, whose use can improve surgical outcomes.

James J. Irrgang, PhD
Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

“PRECISION GRAFT™: NEXT GENERATION FAT HARVEST AND TRANSFER DEVICE FOR RECONSTRUCTIVE AND AESTHETIC SURGERIES”
To design, develop, and test a new cannula to improve the efficiency, cost, and efficacy of adipose tissue harvest and transfer procedures.

CMI funds applied technology projects that are in the early stages of development, with the goal of ultimately transitioning the work to clinical adoption. Proposals were evaluated on the basis of scientific merit, technical and clinical relevance, potential health care impact and significance, experience of the investigators, and potential in obtaining further financial investment to translate the particular solution to healthcare. Funding ranges between $10,000-$25,000 per award for a total this round of $95,000 for the five awards.

The CMI at the Swanson School of Engineering is a collaboration among the University of Pittsburgh’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), the Office of Technology Management (OTM), and the Coulter Translational Research Partnership II (CTRP). CMI was established in 2011 to promote the application and development of innovative biomedical technologies to clinical problems; to educate the next generation of innovators in cooperation with the schools of Engineering, Health Sciences, Business, and Law; and to facilitate the translation of innovative biomedical technologies into marketable products and services in cooperation with OTM and in partnership with CTRP.

Illustration: Center for Medical Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering.